Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. A. MITCHELL.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 350,836. Patented Oct. 12, 1886.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. A. MITCHELL.

GAR COUPLING.

tentedOotrlz, 1886.

W'Zfiessas UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM A. MITCHELL, OF LAXVRENOE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. A.

SIMPSON, OF TERRELL, AND \V. ORITSER, OF LAWRENCE, TEXAS.

H. BROOKS, J. T. AIRHART, AND T. J.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed June 8, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Kaufman and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplings, of

which the followingisaspecification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

Tnis invention pertains to improvements in car-couplings, having for itsobject convenience in effecting the adjustment of the link with relationto the height of the draw-head of the approaching car and facility incoupling and uncoupling the cars; and to these ends the inventionconsists of the combina tion of parts, including their construction,substantiall y as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view ofa draw-head andaportion of a house-car with my improved car-coupling applied thereto.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken th Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is afront view of Fig. 1,- and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the draw-head,showing in particular the lifting or elevating coupling-pin yoke.

In the embodiment of my invention Ichamber, as at a, the drawhead A,which is of ordinary construction, said chamber a opening from the upperside of the draw-head, and dis pose in the said chamber a thelink-adjuster B, which is pivoted or hinged at its rear end to thedrawhead and provided at its forward end with a pendentapproximately-beak-like portion, 7), entering the coupling-link chamberat of the draw-head A, and adapted to act upon the inner end of thelink, as presently explained. The forward end of the link-adj uster B isbeveled or tapered upward, giving it a downward and inward inclination,to readily direct and guide the link to the bottom of its chamber as thelink enters the latter. In the same (forward) end of the link-adjuster Bis a central vertical groove or recess, 1/, for the re ception ofthecouplingpin D, passed, as usual, vertically through the draw-head.In-the bottom of the link-chamber d, at its rear end, is a rough thedraw-head of into which the inner end of the coup- O is forced ordepressed by the linkadjuster B, also as will more fully appearhereinafter. To the link-adjuster B is connected the one end of a bar orlink, f, the latterpassing through an aperture or slot, f, extendingfrom the bottom of the draw-head and up into the same to the chamber a.The lower or outer end of said link or bar f is pivoted or connected toa bar, E, the inner or rear end of which latter is bolted to the underside of the drawhead A, the bolt of which is also passed through thelink-adjuster B, which latter, by means of the said bar E, is held in adepressed positionthat is, with its beak or pendant projecting into thelink-chamber cl. It will thus be seen that if the link be thrust intothe linkchamber of the draw-head it will strike against the forwardbeveled end of the beak of the link-adjuster B and be directed andguided by said bevel or inclination of the beak of the link-adjuster tothe bottom ofsaid link-chamber and under the said beak of thelink-adjuster into the cavity.

F is a rod for elevating or lowering the linkadjuster B, thereby raisingor lowering the outer end of the link and adjusting its position so thatit may readily enter the link-chain ber of the opposite draw-head,according as the height of the draw-head of the approaching car maydemand. This link-adjuster-opcrating rod F is provided with a cam, bail,or crank, f having a stirrup or 1oop,f, through which the bar E ispassed, and, as the one or the other of the handles 9 g of the rod F(one at each end thereof and at the sides of the car) is turned to theright or left by an attendant or train-man, it will act upon the bar Eand force it downward or upward with the link or barf, which will loweror elevate the link-adjuster B, for the purpose aforesaid.

G is a yoke fitted upon a draw-head, A, and having a central aperture inits upper horizontal cross piece or plate in alignment with thecoupling-pin passage of the drawhead, which aperture receives thecouplingpin, the head of the latter holding it in posi tion in the yoke.To the lower ends of the side arms of the yoke G are connected theforcavity, e, ling-link ward ends of longitudinal narrow plates or barsG, which latter extend some distance rearward alongside of thecontaining-case of the draw-head, and are connected at their rear endsto a cross-bar, h, passed through and relatively fixed to the draw-head,and through slots 2' in the containing-case of the draw-head, wherebythe draw-head may have a limited movement with the said yoke-connectedbars or plates G within said case, as is usual in cars, whichforrn nopart of my invention, and therefore no further reference thereto isrequired herein. In the event of the employment of my invention inconnection with a draw-bar having a cross-bar at or near the rear endthereof, the longitudinal plates or bars G are attached thereto.

The yoke G has a pivotal or hinged connection with two links, j j, inturn articulated or pivoted to the free ends of two arms, 7a 7a, fixedto a rod or lever, I-I, journaled or pivoted to turn in strap-eyes is,fastened to the car-body. This rod or lever H is provided with a stop orprojection, which, when the yoke G has been operated so as to actuatethe coupling-pin and elevating-yoke, will press against the spring plateor holder m, fastened to they end of the car, the said stop being turnedwith the said rod from below to the front and upward against andpressing outward upon said spring plate or holder. The latter, with saidstop, thus serves as a catch or retaining device for the rod or lever asagainst the turning of the rod when the hand isremoved from whichever ofits two handles it n that may have been grasped for its operation, andas the coupling-pin is held in an elevated position, thereby effectingthe automatic holding of the coupling-pin in its elevated positionprevious to the coupling of the cars.

For operating the coupling-pin-elevating yoke G from the top of thehouse-car, a rod, I, is connected to one of the fixed arms 70 of the rodor lever H, and extends a short distance above the top or roof of thecar, the'samehaving been passed through guides and retainingeyes orkeepers o, fastened to the end of the car.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, of thelink-adjuster having a pendent beak and the link-chamber having a cavityimmediately below said beak, substantially as and for the purposestated.

ssoese 'vided with a groove or recess,

Y 2. The combination, with the drawhead, of

the link-adj uster having a pendent beak prothe link or bar secured insaid recess or groove, and the bar connected to the draw-head and tosaid link or bar, substantially as shown and described. 3. In acar-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, of the link-adjuster,with its pendent beak portion projecting into the linkchamber, head,acting downwardly and connected by a link or bar to said link-adjuster,substantially as shown and described.-

t. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw'head, of thelink-adjuster having its beak projecting into the'link-chamber, the barand the bar connected to the draw;

connected to the draw-head and'acting downwardly upon and connected by alink or bar to the said link-adjuster, and the rod having a cam, bail,or crank adapted to act upon said bar, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. The combination,with the draw-head, of the coupling-elevating yokehaving side arms, the longitudinal plates or bars, the cross-bar passedthrough said draw-head, and to which said plates or bars are connected,and the rod or lever connected to links of said yoke, substantially asshown and described.

6. In a carcoupling, the combination, with the draw-head, of thecoupling-pin-elevating yoke having a centrally-apertured upper crossbar,and its side arms connected to longitudinal bars connected to across-bar at the rear end of the draw-head,t-he links pivoted to saidlongitudinal bars, and the rod or lever having fixed arms pivoted attheir outerends to the upper ends of said links, which rod or lever isprovided with a stop bearing upon a spring fastened to the end of thecar, substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination,with the draw-head and the pin-elevating yoke havinglinks connected to the longitudinal bars thereof, of the rod or leverhaving a stop or projection, the spring plate or holder, and the fixedarms connected to said lever and links, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. A. SIMPSON, O. A. GOODWIN.

